I was just wondering if anyone on PPK is a vet. And if so, did Vet school compromise any of your vegan morals?

I've always wanted to be a vet, since childhood. I don't really plan on not becoming one, but I'd like to know what I'd be in for. And if it is traumatizing, but worth it for the animals (in the long run).

_________________Real vegans eat nothing but organic, grass-fed grass. - FootFaceI avoid protein on principle. - IsaChandraI used to dress up like Wonder Woman but I didn't grow up to an Amazon Princess who dabbles in bondage and flys an invisible jet. -idatetattoedguys

I dont think it compromises my vegan morals BUT there are some things about working in this industry that no one tells you when you sign up, ya know?? I mean, its not a pretty job and its not a cute job by any means.I feel like when I tell people I am a veterinary nurse they all say "ohhhhhh thats awesome, i've always wanted to do that!!" but most of those people think that I just sit around and pet kitties all day. that is NOT the case. its a tough job and its pretty disgusting and very depressing sometimes. I could tell you horror stories for days. None of which are anything uncommon or cruel, its just a reality of the industry.

I'm not sure if this counts but I've been getting around to studying rodentology for a while. I have 7 guinea pigs who have most definitely compromise my morals, in that they influenced my decision to go vegan. I've seen them have numerous treatments including having abcesses squeezed, impacted bottoms cleared, etc. It doesn't seem glamorous in the least but I love these little creatures so much, I want them to be healthy and happy and I'd rather be the one treating them than a stranger who doesn't know them.

Good question. I am a certified vet tech and my husband is a vet (was vegan for the last 3 years of vet school). There were some things that came up during his time in school that were conflicting, and he stood up for his beliefs and worked it out that way. For instance, the equine anatomy lab purchased horses from auction then euthanized them just for use as cadavers. He found out about this from upperclassmen and spread the word to his classmates, influencing several of them to decline taking the lab portion of the class on moral grounds. They also took a field trip to a local slaughterhouse and he witnessed the slaughter process of pigs. It was an amazing opportunity to witness how awful it is and cement his beliefs. He did not take any lab animal courses on moral grounds. His school (US-Madison) did not have any terminal surgeries (teaching procedures where the animal is euthanized at the end), but many schools do and that is something you'd have to deal with. In actual practice, there are few times that our beliefs are challenged as a result of our job. But I completely agree with hailseitan that veterinary medicine is not pretty even on a good day (even if all you see is puppies and kittens--really sick babies are some of the worst cases), but it's an exceptionally rewarding career and one I would recommend for sure. Just be sure you can handle the blood and gore of practice and you'll be fine!

When I was a tech for the most part none of it went against my beliefs but there were a few times when the vet I worked for would perform elective euthanasias (where the client wanted their animal put to sleep when they weren't dying...) and that was pretty terrible, but I opted not to assist in those and if you were a vet you wouldn't have to do that. But mostly it was a super rewarding job and I loved it even though it could be incredibly sad at times.

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yeah, I re-read my post and I also realized that since I work as a Vet Tech at a 24 hour Animal EMERGENCY Center, I do miss out on some of the positive parts of the job, like getting to know regular clients, and watching their pets grow and their families grow. Everything I see is in critical condition. When I was in school, the lab portion (lab animals, not just labs for each class, if that makes sense. The actual class on caring for Lab Animals) was taught with mice and rats and we were instructed to euthanize at the end of the class, since the mice and rats didnt have anywhere else to go. I gave my rat to a friend who still has it to this day and other than that, I never really had to do anything that was against my beliefs. All euthanasia's we did in school were necessary. we do get those owner that come in and want to euthanize for outrageous reasons (moving, new baby, "aggression" etc.) but unless the doctor feels comfortable, there is no law that says they HAVE to actually perform it.

Thanks, everyone! It was mostly vet schooling that I'm worried about. Thanks for the info.

I think now my only worry is dissections. Are the dissection subjects always euthanized, or do some of them die from natural causes that can be observed during autopsy?

_________________Real vegans eat nothing but organic, grass-fed grass. - FootFaceI avoid protein on principle. - IsaChandraI used to dress up like Wonder Woman but I didn't grow up to an Amazon Princess who dabbles in bondage and flys an invisible jet. -idatetattoedguys

My friend is a 2nd year vet student right now. She says there are actually a bunch of vegans at her school (Tufts) and there's some sort of animal rights type club but I think it's pretty informal. I know a lot of the bodies of animals they use in dissection labs were donated (the dogs and cats mostly were pets that had to be euthanised) but a lot of the farm animals and small animals are killed for dissection purposes.